PORTLAND, Ore. — With the Portland Rose Festival's Starlight Parade festivities and the Timbers' home game at Providence Park, Saturday promises to be busy for streets downtown.
Both events are estimated to bring more than 100,000 people coming to and from the area around the same time, Rose Festival organizers warned. The Timbers' kickoff is at 7:30 p.m., while the Starlight Run is at 6:30 p.m. and the parade at 8 p.m.
Parking restrictions begin around 2 p.m. along the parade route, formation and disband areas downtown. Road closures will begin at 3 p.m. and will reopen by 11:30 p.m., according to the Portland Rose Festival Foundation. The area consisting of West Burnside, Naito Parkway, Southwest Main Street and Southwest 18th Avenue will be affected.
Business owners said that recently, they have seen an uptick in people downtown. While the area has struggled in recent years, some are hopeful that is changing.
“We’re starting to get it back to normal," Rafael Duenas, a food truck owner in Pioneer Square, said.
Many are hopeful that the Starlight Parade and Timbers game will lead people to see changes in downtown, thereby bringing more people to the city core in the future.
“I think there’ll be a lot of people down here," Dave Taylor, a Portland resident, said. "I think it’ll be awesome.”
Avoiding the crowds? KGW is streaming the Starlight Parade Saturday. Stream on KGW website and app, YouTube channel, KGW+ or the media player above when it starts.
Officials are saying that the best travel plan is to go by bike or public transit, including TriMet and Portland Streetcar, but in case you want to drive, here's what to know, according to festival organizers:
Road closures and detours
Overall, drivers should stay north of Burnside, south of Main Street and east of Southwest 20th Avenue, said the Portland Rose Festival Foundation.
- Southwest Naito Parkway will be closed between Southwest Jefferson and Northwest Everett streets.
- The northbound Salmon Street exit from northbound Interstate 405 will close around 5:30 p.m.
- Traffic crossing the Burnside Bridge westbound will be detoured at Northwest Second Avenue.
- Eastbound traffic on West Burnside will be detoured at Southwest Ninth Avenue.
- Morrison Bridge traffic westbound from Southeast Grand will be closed, and vehicles will be routed to Interstate 5 north.
Recommended routes
- Arriving from the north
- Take Interstate 5 south, go west across the Fremont Bridge to the Interstate 405 south to the Glisan/Everett Street exit, and take a right on any street prior to Burnside.
- Take the Interstate 405 west to Highway 30, then take Vaughn Street exit and go left on Northwest 23rd Avenue.
- Arriving from the south
- Take Interstate 5 north, go west to Interstate 405, and take exit to 4th or 6th avenues; take a left on Jefferson Street.
- Take Interstate 5 north, go west to Interstate 405 to the Glisan Street exit; take a left on Northwest Glisan Street.
- Arriving from the east
- Take the Broadway or Steel bridges and proceed west on Northwest Glisan to Northwest 18th Avenue or the Hawthorne Bridge to Southwest Main Street, or follow any of the Interstate 405 directions from the north or south.
- Arriving from the west
- Take the Providence Park/Jefferson Street exit 73 off of U.S. Highway 26.
- Take the Market Street exit off of U.S. Highway 26, then take a left toward Jefferson Street.
- Take Interstate 405 north to the Glisan Street exit, then take a left on Northwest Glisan Street.
Map below shows facilities along Starlight Parade route
Parking
- Smart Park: Southwest 1st and Jefferson, Southwest 4th and Yamhill, and Southwest 10th and Yamhill
- Arrive early: 4th Ave closes by 4:30 p.m. through the duration of the parade.
- World Trade Center Parking Garage: 56 SW Taylor Street
- Arrive very early: Naito Parkway will be closed by 1:30 p.m. through the duration of the parade.
- Public parking: Southwest Alder and 4th
- Arrive early: 4th Avenue closes by 4:30 p.m. through the duration of the parade.
- ABM Parking Services: 121 Southwest 4th Avenue
- Arrive early: 4th Avenue closes by 4:30 p.m. through the duration of the parade.
- US Bankcorp Tower Parking: 111 Southwest 5th Avenue
- Old Town Chevron: 4th and Burnside
- Arrive early: 4th Avenue and Burnside will close by 4:30 p.m. through the duration of the parade.